53. Two Frenchmen
from The Concert - Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Hosted by Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
Debussy: Preludes Fauré: Sonata in A Major for violin and piano, Op. 13 The pieces on this podcast were written by two of the most renowned French composers, Claude Debussy and Gabriel Fauré. First is a selection of Debussy's piano preludes, some of the most magical and effervescent music ever written. Each can be heard as a small vignette. The first, “Voiles,” evokes a calm evening at the ocean, white sails floating over the sea. Another, “Ce qu'a vu le vent d'ouest,” is a stormy reflection of the west wind. And “La puerta del vino” is a sensual Habanera dance inspired by a picture postcard from the Spanish composer Manuel de Falla. Fauré’s Sonata in A Major is romantic and lush, and sounds much more traditional than Debussy's modal and quixotic piano pieces. But like the Preludes, each movement of Fauré's sonata has a distinct personality. The first movement is excited, if bittersweet; the second, dark and yearning. The third movement is quirky and humorous; and the finale closes the sonata with a flowing, sometimes fiery character.
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